BVILady

16 hours ago, travelberlin said:

I understand that the third vaccine does not have an expiration date and that people are not required to get a 4th vaccine. Is that correct?

Ivi

Thank you, I had just gotten worried seeing the link for vaccine expiration in Europe. We are going to     Europe including Greece and my daughter and my booster shot are just barely before the 270 day limit and 2nd boosters are not available here yet.

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

 

Being of sound mind and body, I'm spending the kid's inheritance.

so am I and they don't mind. And the almost 5 month is actually enough for me. We will be gone 2 month July/August, then I am leaving Dec. 20th for the World Cruise, returning middle of May. I think I will enjoy some home-time after that.

if you consider a World Cruise only a cruise where you actually see everything, it might be difficult to achieve. There are only so many places you can visit in the average 120-150 day World Cruises. Royal Caribbean 278 (?) might offer most places. I am booked on 2 Costa Cruises. The itinerary 2024 might be more what you will consider a World Cruise, since it actually goes around the World. 2023 covers Africa, South America, East coast of the US, India, Middle East and plenty of places in Europe but not Australia and Asia or Northern Europe. It will take quite a few cruises to cover all the places you might want to see.  On the 2024 cruise  I booked the smaller ports in the Pacific, South Korea and Sri Lanka will be new to me and I will enjoy returning to all other ports even all the more familiar European destinations. My 2023 cruise, some might consider just a Grand Voyage, I have not seen the ports in Africa and off Africa, like Mauritius yet, neither India or the other Middle East ports besides Haifa. Also the islands off Portugal will be new to me. I suggest just pick what interests you most. So Royal Caribbean might be your best bet if you don't mind 9 month on one voyage.

I have been on Costa several times and am not a Party Animal as Dancer Bob seems to be and have never been disturbed by people partying, so it looks like Costa is catering for everyone - 😂🤣😂I am a 73 year old boring early riser, ready to conquer the world bright eyed and bushy-tailed. Usually I am also booked not close to any bar or theater anyhow.

sorry booked on both and problems with both, did ask on MSC also.

Was going to add my passport information on web-check in but do not get through, tells me to contact my Agent. Have booked with icruise and e-mails to my agents are returned, have tried all kind of other e-mail-combination I could come up with unsuccessfully. Will never book through an agency again. Is MSC check-in only open at a certain date before departure? By the way I am not alone with problems with an agency. my friend booked a World Cruise and her agent is not working at the agency any longer and she is getting no promised answers back for questions asked by phone.

Just checking, have not found any updates on that ridiculous rule. Last update I see is from Dec. 5th, 2021. If I did miss anything can you kindly provide a link? Thanks in advance.

We have cruised both. The only difference I do see is that you will have many different Nationalities on the ship, not only all English speaking guests. It has never been a problem for us and we have made friends from all around the World. It might only make it difficult to get tours with other cruisers on this  forum booked, not many are on cruise critic. Check the role call but it is still a long time off.

I am also booked on the 2024 World  Cruise as well as the 2023. Costa does have 15 excursions included in their World Cruise and as far as I can see they are good value, like Petra in Jordan was an included tour in 2022, which had been cancelled due to covid and is now in 2023. All excursions offered are good value for the money, have seen an excursion I booked for less then $ 100 with Costa discussed on an all inclusive upscale cruise line at $ 299.00 extra cost.

The only thing I would have liked is the self service Laundromat at Princess but Costa has laundry-specials at the World Cruise for E 19.99 for 25 pieces, so I will just need to do some hand-washing for small items.

I feel food quality is the same as Princess and HAL. Being a solo cruiser on both World Cruises I do definitely enjoy the cost. Actually I had looked into HAL's Grand Voyage to Africa when I found the 2023 Costa World Cruise featuring Africa and for about $ 5000 more Costa will also take me around South America and around the world.  At the end of the day the bottom line is important to me and having priced solo-fares on some up-scale lines I will be able to make 2 World cruises for the price of one, without penny-pinching. 

You will need to fly to Europe to get on board. That has never been a problem to me even now at 73 😄, but that is just me.

Hope to meet you onboard

Any tips how to book a rapid antigen test in Lisbon airport, one website did not have AA listed as departing airline, ticket states American Airlines and the next website did not list airport as location. Our flight departs at 11.25 am and testing at the airport will get us all the way home.

On 5/11/2022 at 1:34 AM, 8420PR said:

On Seaview in April they were advertising a covid antigen test for €25 in the daily planner.  

 

If that doesn't work, I've used the testing facility at Barcelona Airport 3 times so far - if you are flying from terminal 1 it is fast and easy - located by the check-in area.  I recommend booking an appointment (free - pay with credit card when you get tested) as on one of the occasions (last year) they were turning people without a reservation away.

 

As a final backup plan you could buy a self test from a EU supermarket (approx €1 to €2) before you board and if needed you can take a monitored self test (using your phone with video).  I have used testifly (€10) and covidtestonline (€15) , and recommend the first one as it uses less data.

can you provide me with a link to book the appointment at the airport please. Going to travel to Portugal and want to make sure test is accepted for entry-approval.

20 hours ago, Tapi said:

Hello World cruisers:

 

I’m someone who starts researching ports of call and planning activities ashore well in advance. I like to have everything planned and booked. Not a “let’s go ashore and see what we can find” kind of guy. 
 

While that has worked fine on shorter cruises with a handful of ports of call, researching and having activities pre planned and booked for each port of call on a world cruise sounds overwhelming. So, what do seasoned world cruisers do? Do you research and plan each port of call? Do you only plan activities on some? Go with the flow? I’d love to read your feedback! 
 

Thanks for your time! 

 I am like you. Have not been on a World Cruise before but various longer cruises. Was very successful previously with tours arranged by fellow cruisers or on my own. Had an incredible Anchor Wat trip arranged by a fellow cruiser at less then 1/3 of the ships tour and better service. I do usually check online on various sites what the best places are to visit and then pick what I want to do and if the ship-excursion offers what I want at an acceptable price I will book with them. Have been twice in Manila and would most probably have never gotten back to the ship if I would have been on my own, but one reason for that is that I want to see as much as possible being lucky to be in that place. I start planning and researching from the day I book and it is part of the fun.

Right now I am booked on two World Cruises with Costa and they have high quality excursions at reasonable prices, if not even included, so at the moment so far I will only do 2 ports on my own. I do watch cruisers in my home country aimlessly walk around, believe me strolling through the parking lots in Road Town is no way to enjoy our beautiful island. Have fun planning.

for Barcelona, have not found anything for Trieste yet. https://creu-blanca.es/en/noticia-interior/180/centros-y-horarios-de-pruebas-covid-19.html

hm that will be difficult, we will reach Mestre by train after 6 pm and the following morning leave Mestre for Trieste at 10.30 am.We will have an antigen test before reaching Italy but older then 48 hours. Anybody aware of a place to get tested within out night time hours? Costa makes it more difficult then any other cruise line, not happy.

rkacruiser thank you so much for your post. i had originally booked taj mahal but then they changed the itinerary to fort in the morning, then taj mahal and then fatahpur siki, which was just to much for 1 day and i figured would make the visit to the taj mahal midday, so hot. after you posted i went back online to the tour and they did change it back to morning taj mahal and then the fort so much more manageable. i am 73, do walk every day dirt roads in the hills (broken wrist!) so not worried with this itinerary. so thanks to your post i am booked again 🌞😄🌞and the cost is about E 1050 for tour and 2 nights single room so not breaking the bank.

On 4/22/2022 at 6:43 AM, BVILady said:

sorry for bad typing, broke my right wrist yesterday. i have been on costa several times and o

pincess, hal and several other european smaller lines an i do like costa. i am euopean so everything being in several languages is not a problem to me. only wine, beer and softdrinks with lunch and dinner are included. i have a spreadsheet and worked out estimated extra's. the service is a fixed daily rate. i do drink, but what i drink will not even be as much as the drinkpackage you can add - E 4300 - E 5500 for the entire cruise, especially when you are out all day. they include 15 excursions, so even viking claims excursions are included, they are short excursions and if you do want do do something different you still pay for it. have almost all excursions booked for my 2023 world cruise including Isuaca falls overland, laundry and extra water package for the room and extra non-alcoholic drinks and only reached about E 6500 according to my spreadsheet i will be able to do 2 1/2 worldcruises with costa for the quoted price of 1 with viking - and that does not even calculate in the additional expenses i would have for the excursions i  would still have to pay on viking. somebody posted the pricelist for drinks on costa at the costa board so have a look. also just read on facebook

that the same excursion i had booked on costa was priced 3 x the amount on another upscale line. so take your pencil and work it out - how unimpressed can you be at 40 % cost.  

 

just checked my bookings my total on extra's now is E 5640 no 6500 and i do only have 5 ports left to book excursions for and i have not saved any expense to book what i wanted, had to say no to the Taj Mahal only because it looked to streneous and hard for me. i can't wait!!!😍🌞😍

sorry for bad typing, broke my right wrist yesterday. i have been on costa several times and o

pincess, hal and several other european smaller lines an i do like costa. i am euopean so everything being in several languages is not a problem to me. only wine, beer and softdrinks with lunch and dinner are included. i have a spreadsheet and worked out estimated extra's. the service is a fixed daily rate. i do drink, but what i drink will not even be as much as the drinkpackage you can add - E 4300 - E 5500 for the entire cruise, especially when you are out all day. they include 15 excursions, so even viking claims excursions are included, they are short excursions and if you do want do do something different you still pay for it. have almost all excursions booked for my 2023 world cruise including Isuaca falls overland, laundry and extra water package for the room and extra non-alcoholic drinks and only reached about E 6500 according to my spreadsheet i will be able to do 2 1/2 worldcruises with costa for the quoted price of 1 with viking - and that does not even calculate in the additional expenses i would have for the excursions i  would still have to pay on viking. somebody posted the pricelist for drinks on costa at the costa board so have a look. also just read on facebook

that the same excursion i had booked on costa was priced 3 x the amount on another upscale line. so take your pencil and work it out - how unimpressed can you be at 40 % cost.  

I have reservations with them and somebody has just recently published their new drink-menues on cruisecritic. On the drink menu you will see discounts for Costa Club members up to 25 % on certain  bottles. I also have booked excursions with a Costa Club discount of 25 % for my upcoming World Cruise. Besides that I have seen on facebook that one excursion I have booked with Costa with the discount for less then Euro 100 was offered on an upscale cruise-line for $ 299.00  (according to description pretty much the same itinerary of the excursion). I will never manage to accumulate the 140 000 points but have never been loyal to any cruise line anyhow, always booked due to date and itinerary, so whoever had the most suitable cruise for me. My 2 booked World Cruises with Costa were booked because of price for single cabin.

I have just checked cruiseguru a few days ago for available interior cabins for my 2024 Costa World Cruise and there are only 5 cabins left open, so bookings seem to be up and anybody waiting might be out of luck when they finally decide.

Dancer Bob, thank you.

Wondering whether the Special Non-Alcoholic Drinks are included in the 100% alcohol-free (40 beverages) - since it says:

I am confused about Pranzo & Cena Drink package, was under the impression it includes water with lunch and dinner - but it lists "includes a selection of unlimited wines, beers and soft drinks by the glass when served with lunch and dinner" - is water considered a soft drink. If water is not included I have to increase my pre-cruise bottled water order.

the insurance is on the opening page before you book on the bottom of the page "Carefree Travel Protection", you discuss it with the agent. I booked mine by phone with Costa direct.

My friends Travel Agent had told her that she will be able to take a steamer for clothes on the cruise. Is that correct, since we are not allowed an iron I would like to make sure before I go and order and pack. Thanks in advance.

It all depends on what you usually consume on a day. I have Piu Gusto included in my fare, so water, beer or wine with lunch and dinner. If I would upgrade to My Drinks Plus that will be Euro 38.70 per day for me. Difficult for me to spend on drinks and I do not like the restriction: "Usable in any café or bar on board (with the exception of theme cafés or bars)." I am a big spender when it comes to Coffee drinks, so that will be the main-drink for me after having wine and water with lunch and dinner already, so being restricted where I can have it is a no-no for me. Also for example spending the day on an excursion it will be impossible for me to pend Euro 38.70 on drinks. So you will need to calculate your spending habits. I opted for pay as you go.

1 minute ago, Alex71 said:

 

They charge 119 EUR for the most basic package, which I guess is managable in the large scheme of things, but it's a lot more than the 4.60 EUR per  month I'm paying extra for a more comprehensive insurance package through my Lufthansa M&M credit card.

 

I sent Costa an e-mail asking for clarification what exact documentation they require from my credit card company and I sent and e-mail to my credit card company asking for proof of the included coverage.

 

Let's see how it works out, but I still find it strange that Costa sends this now, two weeks before departure and not earlier. 

maybe they are updating their policy. As I mentioned P & O and MSC had required insurance from us, so maybe Costa is now catching up. With Covid no surprise there. Naturally they will want to have it for every passenger, to differentiate by date booked would be a lot of additional headaches. I did receive a new confirmation for my Word Cruise not to long ago, forgot what had been included in the small-print what had not been there before, but somehow it was something I had already assumed to be part of the contract, that why it has slipped me now.